How Much for a Website?
Published on February 24, 2009 / Client Resources
Potential clients are often taken aback by the estimated cost of custom website design. So what goes into a website that justifies its value?
One entity is design skill. This includes strengths in typography, page layout, color theory, visual hierarchy, and other areas. The client is free to look through and compare designer portfolios and question a designer’s skill set, recognition, and work process before hiring. A designer with a strong skill set will generally output a higher caliber of work, and thus require a higher rate, than an entry-level designer for example. That’s not to say that years of experience dictate a stronger eye for design, because that’s not always true.
There are a number of steps involved in professional web design. The list below does not include all, but recognizes many.
- Design Brief
outlines the needs of the project and goals of the client. - Research
compares the competition and analyzes the client’s current identity. - Information Architecture
organizes pages and content for the targeted audience. - Concepts & Sketches
enables ideas to flow and intentions to make form. - Mockups
provides options for the client to comment on and critique. - Revisions
allows the client and designer to work together to formulate the best possible end result. - Finalized Work
produces a finished design, and optimizes images for the web. - XHTML & CSS
codes pages and separates structure from presentation. - Content Management System
integrates pages with a CMS and simplifies updates. - Code Validation
aids in future-proofing a website and guarantees no code errors, that can result in various symptoms. - Browser Testing
ensures all pages, scripts, and forms operate correctly in major browsers. - Copywriting
establishes content, sometimes provided by the client or a copywriter. - Photography
gathers stock images, and may involve shooting of images by the designer or a hired photographer. - Creative Direction
guides the client before, during, and after a project’s completion. - Client Meetings
discusses objectives and thoughts throughout the process.
Of course not every web designer performs each step, as many projects do not call for them all. And like any business, there are work-related expenses that must be taken into account when pricing a project. These include studio operation fees, computing and graphics equipment, software licenses, and office supplies.
The phrase, “You get what you pay for” can apply to design work but, from a design perspective, does not always imply that a higher-quoted price will achieve the strongest design and end result. So it’s advised for clients to research and question potential candidates for design work before making an assumption or decision based on an estimated quote.
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12 Responses to “How Much for a Website?”
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This is a nice article. Simple, clear and straight to the point.
Seems like you got more than design skills, but also a good choice of words.
Keep it up.
Thanks, Segun.
I was reading up the new Labs on Google and saw your name and checked it out. Your work is great. There are people who do not like to pay for anything they always find its too much.
I live in Trinidad, my son Joel would love to be a web designer what programmes would you recommend to him , where should he start etc., etc.
Keep up the good work and may God bless you.
Thanks, Bernadine. I recommend the Web Premium or Design Premium of Adobe Creative Suite for Education. One book I’ve found beneficial in providing an excellent start in web development is Designing With Web Standards. I hope this helps, and best of luck to your son!
Great post, thanks. This makes it very clear what goes on when building a website. I would like to send this to a few clients in poster size :)
Shane, ditto! Always good to have this list laying around when justifying design and development costs. Thanks Matthew!
Shane and Thibaut,
Thanks for your comments.
Hi Matthew, Great post – you’ve hit the nail squarely on the head.
I’ve found that as I’ve progressed as a web developer, I’ve added more and more of the steps you outlined, and thus the price went up, because each job took more work. Also, because I was also offering a better quality end solution, the hourly rate goes up as well – so the price increased very quickly indeed. Then add in the expenses of moving into an office etc, it’s weird to look back and think how little I used to charge for a website!
Cheers,
Luke
Another great tutorial! Thank you so much for taking the time and being so clear in your step by step instructions.
So clear and concise!
I’ve definitely been looking at a way to outline my process to my clients in such a way that they understand where the value is coming from, and why quality websites cost more (and why its WORTH paying more in the long-term).
Great list!